Hariri says resignation on hold, pledges to stay in Lebanon

Lebanon’s Prime Minister Saad Hariri said Wednesday he was suspending his surprise resignation, pending talks, providing a potential way out of a political crisis that has rocked the country. Lebanon has been thrown into turmoil by Hariri’s shock November 4 announcement from Saudi Arabia that he was stepping down, as well as his prolonged absence afterwards. The resignation was seen as a ratcheting up of tensions in the long-running rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran, and raised fears that Lebanon would be paralysed by regional tensions.